The only way to preserve the government "of the people, by the people, for the people" that President Abraham Lincoln described in the Gettysburg Address is for "the people" to participate in the election of that government. "The people" that Lincoln was talking about includes each one of us. Voting is not an every four-year event when a presidential election stirs voters' interest. The down-ballot and off-year elections are very important as well. These are the elections that govern everything from potholes to education to parks to environmental protection to public safety– issues that have an everyday impact on our lives and deserve our attention.
 

Voting is a privilege we cannot take for granted. It is the cornerstone of democracy. We cannot waste this hard-won privilege if we want to preserve government "of the people, by the people, for the people."